A mandelonitrile compound represented by formula (2):
wherein Q represents an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 14 carbon atoms, an optionally substituted heterocyclic group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, an optionally substituted methyleneamino group, an optionally substituted acyl group having 2 to 15 carbon atoms or an optionally substituted substituted-sulfonyl group having 1 to 14 carbon atoms, X represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an optionally protected hydroxyl group, M represents an oxy group (—O—), a thio group (—S—), a sulfinyl group (—SO—), a sulfonyl group (—SO2—), —NR1— or a single bond, R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an acyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, and n represents 0, 1 or 2,such as 2-(2,5-dimethylphenoxymethyl)mandelonitrile is, for example, useful as a production raw material or a production intermediate of medical and agricultural chemicals.
As a process for producing a mandelonitrile compound, for example, Patent document 1 describes a method of obtaining 2-(2,4-dimethylphenoxymethyl)benzaldehyde cyanohydrin by mixing 2-(2,4-dimethylphenoxymethyl)benzaldehyde, potassium cyanide and ammonium chloride in a mixed solvent composed of an ether and water. Patent document 2 describes a method of obtaining 2-(4-chloro-α-methylbenzylideneaminooxymethyl)benzaldehyde cyanohydrin by mixing 2-(4-chloro-α-methylbenzylideneaminooxymethyl)benzaldehyde, sodium cyanide and sodium bisulfite in a mixed solvent composed of methanol and water.